7 years... 7 years ago then club president Julie Brandle inducted Nathanael Billow into the Rotary Club of Akron. Fast forward to March 16th in Columbus where at All Ohio PETS Training, Julie, now our Rotary District 6630 governor, had the honor of pinning Thane as President-Elect for our Club 2024-25. Good luck Thane on your year ahead leading our club.Thane shared the following on Facebook:
This is a really big deal for me and is a huge honor. The Rotary Club of Akron, OH is really important to my family and I, and I’ve met a lot of really special people, some of whom are my closest friends and biggest role models. My great-great Uncle George Billow helped found Akron Rotary in 1914 and he served as Club President from 1916-1917. My great-great grandpa Charles F. Billow was also one of the Club’s first members. Four generations of my family have been Rotarians, and together, we’ve helped maintain 110 years of active membership in Akron Rotary.
I have a lot of great memories of Rotary growing up, and I feel like it was just yesterday that my grandpa told me that I should be a funeral director and a Rotarian, because “Billow’s were really good at being both.” I remember going to my first Chili Open with my dad when I was probably 4 or 5 years old. I remember when John Daily invited me to Rotary as his guest in 2017 and how he offered to sponsor me into the club. I can remember how nervous I was to get sworn in by Julie Brandle, and how my mom and dad Charles Martial Billow came to support me. I remember when I met my Rotary Mentor Dr. Robert McGregor and how impressed I was with him. He introduced me to David Miller, Connor Jarvis and Brian Kosarko, and I remember how we all would get in trouble at meetings for routinely sitting together! I remember getting lunch with Rotary Jack Harig at Rockne’s so that he could pass on stories of our Club’s history. I remember sitting with Tom Knauer at one of our meetings and thinking to myself “man, that guy is pretty sharp and we have a lot in common. I should probably be friends with him.”And now, all these years later, I have the privilege of following my now good friend Tom Knauer by serving as the President of Akron Rotary. It was extra special that District Governor Julie Brandie was there to pin me at All Ohio PETS this evening.
I hope I make my family, my future wife Gabby Zuschak, my Rotary friends, and our Akron Club proud. I know my grandpa Chuck Billow and John Daily will be rooting for me from Heaven (and yes, they both still have perfect attendance).
